Torpedo-guard for ships.



A. CARLSON @L E. ALswANsoN.

' TQRPEDO GUARD FOR SHIPS. j

PPIJATION F1LED NOV.11| 1915. l 'i v Patented Mar. 6,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEE l.

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CARLSON & F. A". SWANSON.

TOIIPEDO GUARD .FOR SHIPS.' APPLICATION FILED NOY. II. ISIS. 1,218,371 .Patented Mar. b, 1917.

s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

n I I "A. CARLSON & F.` A. SWANSGN. IoRPEoo GUARD Fon SHIPS.

Patented'Mi. 6, 1917.

3 SHEETS-sneu av.

APPUCATION FILED NOV. Il. ll9l5'.

UNITED STATES PATENT orme.

:ANDROV CARLSON AND FRANK A. SWANSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ToRPEDo-GUARD Fon SHIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

4 Application filed November 11, 191.5. Serial No. 60,920.

To all wltom t may concern:

Be it know-n that we, ANDnov CARLSON and FRANK A. SWANsoN, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city-of Chicago,

4 county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have reference to thel accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which- ,Figure 1 is a top plan view ofa shipl equipped with guarding means embodying our invention,

Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same,

Fig. 3', an enlargeddetail elevation of one complete guard section andthe adjoining ends of two Aother guard sections,

Fig. 4, an enlarged transverse section taken through-one side of the ship,

Fig. 5, an enlarged inside elevation of the connection between two of the guard sections, and

Fig. 6, an enlarged detail section taken on l line 6 6 of Fig. 4, illustrating the frictional l the'corres'pnding paix-"of operating rodsll..

mounting of operating gears for the guard.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a torpedo guard arranged at each side of a ship of any usual or desired construction; said guard at each side consisting of alternating hollow sheet metal buoyant sections 7 and 8,

each of said sections being shaped on its inner side 9 t0v 5t the curvature of the corresponding side" 10 ofthe ship. Each of the sections 7 is eliibraced by two suspending straps 11 attached at their upper 'ends to corresponding hangers 12 arranged to fit loosely over the squared ends 13 of operating rods 14 operating throijgh-stuiiing boxes 15 arranged in the sides of the ship. Each of brace'lG secured to hanger 12 by bolts 17 and the end li's additionally secured to hanger 12 by means of a bolt 18 thus effecting a strong, secure and readily detachable connection between each of the sections 7 and 5 The adjoining ends of guard sections '7 and 8 are provided with internesting perforated ears or lugs 19I and bolts 20 are passed through said ears, thus effecting detachable connections between the different guard sections permitting of theirA replacement in case of damage. j

The inner end 21 of each of therods 11 is squared and mountedto run upon a guide roller 21. Each of the squared ends 21 car- Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

ready removal and ries on its' upper side a rack bar 22 meshing y with a gear 23 friction'ally mounted on a Sleeve 2 4 keyed to an operating shaft 25 extending along the corresponding side of the ship. Each of the sleeves 24, is provided with a friction flange 26 contacting with one side of the corresponding gear 23 and a friction disk 27 loosely mounted on said sleevev contacts with the other side of thev corre- Spending gear 23. A nut28 is threaded on sleeve 24adjacent the outer side of disk 27 ,by means of which the frictional mounting of thecorresponding gear 2,3 may be adjusted. Each of the shafts 25 carries` a worm wheel 29 meshing with a Worm 30 on the motor shaft of an ordinary electric motor 31 and by means of which each of the shafts 25 'may be operated independently of the other,

as will be readily understood;

In use the guard sections 7 and 8 are adjusted to rest closely against the sides of the ship, thus oi'ering as little resistance as possible to the passage of the ship through the water, the guard sections 7 at each end' of the. ship being provided with beveled Vor pointed ends for this, purpose. When danger threatens from a torpedo iired by a submarine or otherwise', the guards v7 -8 may be quickly extended fro'mthe sides of the ship and-will serve'to intercept the torpedo and explode the same at a safe distance from the ship, the guard sections being arrap ed and positioned in the water to extend be ow the surface'thereof to a suitable depth for the purpose. In case of injury to any one of the sections, the same may be readily removed and replaced owinto the readily, detach-- able connections t ereof.- Thel guard sections 7-"8 being air tight and, buoyant, also the rods 14 is' provided' with a depending 'in a collisionA or othervvfise, the frictional 'connection-betweenl gears 23 and 4the corresponding shaft 2 5per.mitsof suiiicient yield: ing of the guard sections to prevent or; mini? mize damage thereto from such a cause, but

said frictional connection may el readily ad- I thepreferred form of construction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable of variationand modification without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We, therefore, ldo not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

ll-Iaving described our invention what we4 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a ship, of a plurality of supports extendingn outwardly from the sides thereof; guard sections at the outer ends of said supports; and additional guard sections arranged between said first mentioned guard sections and detachably connected therewith, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a ship, of a plurality' of supports extending outwardly from the sides thereof; a hollowbuoyant .Copies of this patent may be obtained for sheet metal guard section arranged at the outer end of each of said supports; additional guard sections arranged between said first mentionedA guard sections and detachably connected therewith; and means for withdrawing or projecting said supports,

nected with said straps; rods detachably connected with said hangers'l and sliding through vthe side walls of the ship; detachable connections between the adjoining ends of the guard sections at each side of the ship; rack bars carried by said rods within the ship; an operating shaft arranged in operative relation with the rack bars at each side of the ship; gears frictionally mounted on said shafts and meshing with said rack bars; and a worm drive for each .of said shafts, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof'we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses ANDROV CARLSON.

FRANK A. SWANSON.

Witnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. Po'rrs, HELEN F. Linus.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of .Pate'nta Washington, D. Gi. 

